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Assault Bike

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Intermediatecore

Home Setup

Assault bikes are difficult to replicate at home without the actual equipment, but you can simulate the full-body cardio effect with burpees or mountain climbers combined with shadow boxing

Exercise matTimer

💡 Pro tip: Combine 10 burpees with 20 seconds of high-intensity arm circles to mimic the push-pull demand

Gym Setup

Assault Bike or Air Bike with adjustable seat height and functioning fan resistance system

Safety: Adjust seat height so knees have slight bend at full extension; secure feet in pedal straps; start with moderate pace to avoid early burnout

💪 Muscles Worked

QuadricepsHamstringsGlutesShouldersTricepsLatissimus DorsiCore

⭐ Why This Exercise?

The Assault Bike provides unmatched full-body cardiovascular conditioning by engaging both upper and lower body simultaneously, making it ideal for HIIT workouts and metabolic conditioning. Its air resistance system ensures that intensity scales directly with effort, allowing for self-regulated pacing while building exceptional work capacity and mental toughness essential for CrossFit competitions.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Stationary Bike

Stationary Bike

Removes upper body component, allowing focus on lower body conditioning with less overall intensity

2. Reduced RPM Intervals

Assault Bike

Maintains full-body engagement but at lower cadence to build aerobic base before high-intensity efforts

3. Legs-Only Assault Bike

Assault Bike

Reduces total body demand by holding handles stationary and pedaling only, good for recovery sessions

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Tabata Intervals (20/10)

Assault Bike + Timer

Increases intensity through structured high-output intervals with minimal rest for advanced conditioning

2. Calorie Ladder Sprints

Assault Bike

Progressive calorie targets (5-10-15-20-15-10-5) build mental toughness and pacing strategy under fatigue

3. EMOM Max Calorie Sprints

Assault Bike + Timer

Every minute on the minute max effort sprints develop explosive power and recovery capacity between rounds

↕️ Similar Movements

Rowing Machine
Similar full-body cardio with pull-dominant pattern; complementary conditioning tool
SkiErg
Upper body dominant cardio that pairs well with assault bike for varied metabolic training
Burpees
Bodyweight alternative providing similar full-body metabolic demand and intensity
Double Unders
High-skill cardio movement often paired with assault bike in CrossFit WODs
Thruster
Full-body strength movement commonly combined with assault bike calories in benchmark workouts

Form Checklist

✓Push and pull handles in sync with leg drive for maximum power transfer
✓Maintain upright posture with core engaged; avoid hunching shoulders forward
✓Drive through heels on pedal downstroke while pulling handle to chest
✓Keep elbows close to body during pull phase; fully extend arms on push
✓Breathe rhythmically; exhale on power phase to maintain oxygen delivery

Common Mistakes

  • •Gripping handles too tightly causing forearm fatigue and reduced power output
  • •Starting too fast and burning out; proper pacing is critical for sustained efforts
  • •Allowing knees to cave inward during pedal stroke instead of tracking over toes
  • •Rounding back and losing core tension, reducing power transfer and risking injury
  • •Using only arms or only legs instead of coordinating full-body effort

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can maintain consistent RPM above 60 for 5+ minutes, complete 15 calories in under 60 seconds, or sustain target heart rate zones without form breakdown. Ready for advanced protocols when you can recover to conversational breathing within 2 minutes after max effort sprints.